Airbus Hits Pause on CityAirbus NextGen eVTOL Plans 🚁

Airbus has decided to put its CityAirbus NextGen eVTOL program on hold, shifting focus back to its growing conventional helicopter business. The decision comes after a strategic review assessing both the business case and technological readiness for launching an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.

Bruno Even, CEO of Airbus Helicopters, stated that while the prototype has helped advance key technologies, the company doesn’t see the necessary conditions to commercially launch a new program just yet.

The CityAirbus was presented on March 11 at the City of Ingolstadt to members of the German government and the public. On Friday May 3, 2019, the prototype urban air mobility vehicle took its first flight. Photo: Airbus

The Battery Challenge 🔋

One of the key challenges holding back the launch? Battery performance. Airbus engineers believe that for an eVTOL aircraft to be viable, it needs to cover distances of 80 to 100 km per flight, and current battery technology isn't quite there yet. While CityAirbus test flights will continue at the company’s Donauwörth facility in Germany, further development is on pause.

What's Next? 🚀

Airbus remains committed to innovation in advanced air mobility, continuing work on three research projects: DemonstratorLab, PioneerLab, and DisruptiveLab. Meanwhile, other aerospace giants like Boeing (through Wisk), Embraer’s Eve Air Mobility, and Textron’s Nexus program are pushing forward with their own eVTOL developments.

While Airbus is taking a step back, the race to bring eVTOLs to market is far from over. Will battery technology catch up fast enough to make these aircraft a reality? Time will tell.

This news is based on reports from AIN Online.